The Department of Sociology holds guest speaker presentations and events that are open to the community, covering a range of topics. Faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in this enriching experience, where diverse perspectives will be welcomed and explored. Find out more about our upcoming events.
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Ninth Floor: The Past and Current State of Racism and Police Oversight
Date: May 13, 2025
Thank you for joining us for the viewing of the film Ninth Floor, the NFB film directed by Mina Shum, which revisits the infamous 1969 Sir George Williams riot – a watershed moment in Canadian race relations. A feature documentary looking to set the record straight, Ninth Floor features interviews with the former students involved in the riot which broke out after a group of Carribean students accused their professor of racism.
Following the film, Associate Professor Robert A. Kenedy, Chair of the Department of Sociology, and special guest Rodney John, a former student in the riot, discussed the riot, film and the current state of policing and racism in Canada.
Special Guest
Rodney John
After teaching mathematics and health science in St. Vincent, West Indies, Rodney John moved to Canada in 1965 to pursue his doctoral degree in Psychology at Sir George Williams University, now known as Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. He worked at the Montreal Jewish General Hospital, the Pavilion Foster Inpatient Clinic for Alcoholics and in a private practice after earning his PhD.
John moved to Toronto, Ontario in 1993 where he continued his education while working in a private practice as well as at the Queensway General Hospital in Etobicoke. He earned his B.Ed. from O.I.S E., University of Toronto, and an LL. M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Osgoode Hall Law School, York University. John has lectured at schools including Concordia University in Montreal and Centennial College in Toronto. He was also the Supervisor of Mediation at the Unified Family Court in Newmarket. He has been retired since 2015 and spends his time practicing and teaching the martial art, Tai Chi.
